Grip-tread for pneumatic tires.



W. P. SHATTUGK.

GRIP TREAD POB. PNEUMATIO TIRES.

-APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 17, 1907.

913,674. .Patented Feb. 23, 1909,

'UNITED @tlrtt TENT OFFICE :WILLIAM P. SHATTUCK, OF MINNEAPOLIS,MINNESOTJLASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MARTIN MCI/OY, JR., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GBIP-TREAD FOB, PNEUMATIC TIRES.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

Application filed January 17, 1907. Serial No. 352,681.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, W1 LLiAM P. SIIATTUUK, of Minneapolis, Hennepincounty, Minne seta, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGrip-Trends for `Imeumatic Tires, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to wheel tires and particularly to grip treadstherefor.

The object of the invention is to provide a gri deviceof economicalconstruction and easily applied to the wheel or removed and verydurable.

Afurther object is to provide a grip device that will tit snugly on thetire at all times and do away with the tlapping of the loose partsusually incident to devices of this kind.

Other ob'ects of the invention will appear from the following detaileddescription.

The invention consists generally in a ilexible grip 'formed into aseries ot loops extending continuously around the peripheryT of the tireand from side to side thereon and means separably connecting thecontiguous loops.A Y

Further, the invention consists in an automatic take up device wherebythe slack in the grip will be taken up.

Further, the invention consists in various constructions andcombinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.Figurel is a side elevation of a pneumatic tire with my improved griptread applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same showing only aportion of the tire. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View illustrating thetake up device. Fig. Ml is a sectional view on the line .r---a' of Fig.H.

In the drawing, 2 represents an ordinary tire such as is usually used onautomobiles and of any suitable size. tiri p treads as heretofore madefor the purpose of preventing the tire from slipping or skiddingon slip--pery pavements or frozen ground or in the mud," consist of side chainsarranged on each side of the Wheel rim and -e'onnected at intervalsacross the periphery of the tire by comparatively short cross chains.These short chains are subjected tothe wear as `they form the tread ofthe grip and as the chains are made of soft metal the tread of the gripwears out in a comparatively short time, particularly when used on roughfrozen ground No provision, so far as I am aware, has everI been madefor changing the position of the grip to present new Wearing surfacesfor the tread.

Tl ye important feature of my invention lies in a tread consisting of asingle continuous length. of ,llexible material, prefer-ably a chain ofsuitable size formed into a series of loo s 3 with continuous sections 4connecting t rein alternating with separable links 5 on both sides ot'the tire. To avoid loose flapping ends the chain or other llexible meansis made continuous, but it may be separated at the point where the takeu p device is inserted if preferred. The loops extend across the tireand l'orm the grip tread therefor, and whenever desired tael separablelinks 5 may be detached and tuelgrip relaid on the tire, so that newloops will be formed and new unworn surfaces presented to the tread. Iam thus able to utilize the entire length of the chain for wearingsurfaces and greatly prolong the life ot the device. The separable linksare preferably made as indicated, of wire ot" suitable size and capableof being readily unhooked from the loops. Any other suitable form oflink, however, may be used in place ol those shown, my purpose be'- ingto provide merely some detachable means between the loops which willpermit readjustnrent of tlc tread.

In deifices of tizis kind as usually used, there are more or less loosellapping parts duc to the wear and stretching of the chain, and for thepurpose of avoiding the annoyance and objection of -.aving the griptread lwork loose on tlf e tire, I provide an automatic take-uparrangement' consisting preferably of a plate 6 detaclmhly connected at7 Ito the contiguous loops of the tread and having a housing 8 wi-ereinrods 9 tl: at are attached to the tread arc slidable, one rod moving inone direction and the other in the other. The bottonrof the housing isprovided with a series of ratchet teeth vl() on one side of the centerand with a. corresponding series'of oppositely formed ratchet teeth 11on the otherv side oi the center. The rods 9 have teeth 12 and '13respectively adapted to engage the roo fentingmovement inthe otherdirection. d springs le are providedo; the said yand normally tend todmv.T the rodsginto teasing past one another and tighten the on Vthetire taking up ali-slack thereinl ast as the slack is taken uni-theinterlockeeth Will hold it and prevent the grip tvvorlning loose.Ascchet lisprovided 'side Walls oi the housing adapted to reconlnemyself`to the speciiic construction oi 'this taire up device, as 1t is capableof various modifications all-Within the scope of my invention; I l

- it will be noted that While this grip device is continuous extendingaround the tire and side to' side of its periphery, that it isnevertheless free to creep on the tire or changel its position While inuse to avoid yundue Wear 'fettine tire in one spot. By simply insertingalrey and releasing `the take up the4 grip can he easily and(pricklylremoved from the tire as readily placedthereon.

l claim as my invention:

l. A grin tread forwheel tires comprising l aiiexible means'tormed intoa seriesl of loops and adapted to extendacross the tire from sideto sideand continuously around the periphery thereof, and meansseparablyconnesting contiguons loops With one another,

whereby the position of the loopsin said ilegible means may be changedto present new Wearing surfaces for the tread. l

2. A grip tread for wheel tires comprising a chain formed into a seriesof lcontinuons loops adapted to extend transversely on the periphery oia tire and continuously around the same, and means separahly connectingeen .lguous loops with one another, wherebytheir positionin 'the chainmay be changed to present new Wearing suriacesfor the tread.

i3. A grip tread :tor Wheel tires con'iprising l:flexible means formedinto a series of loops and adapted to; he transversely on the pei thetire and being detachable therefrom, ftv'hereby new loops may be formedin the said riphery voi the tire and extending continnonsly around' tnesame, ,and metallic links connectmg contiguous loops at the sides of-nexible means and il 'end il siidingover them freely inthe tread.

' ction and interlocking therewith and4 hey l5 having a tapered'end 17which new surfaces presented to 4. 'A gripv tread for Wheel tirescomprising a flexible means formed into a series of loops and adapted toencircle a tire, anda take up' device inserted into said flexible meansbetween contiguous loops and arranged to au* `tomatically draw uandtighten the grip tread onthe tire, vsu stantially as described.

5. A grip tread for Wheel tires comprising a flexible means formed incontinuous loops extending transversely of the periphery of the tire andcontinuously around the same, and a take up device inserted into saidilexible'4 means and varranged to automatically take up the slack and'`tighten the grip tread, for the purpose specified. 7 l

A grip tread for wheel tires comprising `a exible means adapted toencircle a tire, and a take up device inserted into sa1d ilex1- blemeans, and saidtake up device comprising springs normally tending totighten said grip tread on the-tire with means for locking it as fast astightened, substantially as described.

7. A'grip tread for Wheeltires comprising .a flexible means adapted toencircle a tire,a

take up device inserted into said iiexible means and normally tending todraw up the slack and lock the tread in its tightened posi-' tion, saidtakeup device having means for releasing or tripping the lockingmechanism to allow the tread' to become slack, substantially as.described.

8'. A grip tread a lexible means adapted to encircle a tire, a take updevice inserted into said flexible means and comprising a housing having.oppositely formed teeth, and rods connected at one end to said flexiblemeans and having oppositely formed teeth on their other ends to engagethe teeth of said housing, and springs coiled on said rods and normallytending to draw them together'to .tighten the said flexible mean,substantially as described.

9. A grip tread for Wheel tires comprising afllexible means adapted toencircle a tire, and a taire up device inserted into said flexible meansand consisting of a housing having oppositely arranged teeth and rodsconnected at one end of said iiexible means and slid able in saidhousing and having oppositely formedv teeth to engage the teeth of saidhousing, a spring device for holdin said rod teeth in engagement Withsaid housing teeth, springs mounted on said rods and normally tending todraw them together, and said i housing having a socket` to receive a keyfor separating the teeth oi said rods from the teeth of said housing,for the purpose specilied. i

10. A grip tread for' Wheel tires comprising a chain formed in a seriesof continuous loops .adapted to lie transversely onthe periphery forWheel tires comprising 4 of the tire, and to encircle the same, meansconneetin vcontiguous loops with one 1another, an a takeup device alsoconnecting contiguous loops and comprising a housing 5, havin oppositelyformed teeth and rods attache to said`lo'ops and' having ends pro`'vided with op Ositely formed teeth "adapted "to slide in saiA housingand engage thev teeth thereof, aad thereby lock the said chain in its tihtened osition on the tire, and springs 10 coile on sai rods andnormally tendmg to draw them together- In witness whereof, I havehereunto set my hand this 12th dag? of January 1907.

WILLIAM P. SHATTUCK. Witnesses:

RICHARD PAUL, J .'B. ERA.

